At the recent Central Conference on Work Relating to Foreign Affairs, President Xi Jinping pointed out that China must develop a distinctive diplomatic approach befitting its role as a major country, so that China's diplomacy will show salient Chinese features, Chinese style and Chinese confidence. China's diplomacy has already stood on a new historical starting point and its relations with the outside world are displaying brand new chapters. The vision, practice, contribution and role of China as I elaborated above have all demonstrated the Chinese features.

The word "features", highlighting the major-country diplomacy as China pursues, underscores China's determination to achieve national greatness through ways different from traditional powers. The Chinese features, first and foremost, support unequivocally the social system and development path widely endorsed by the Chinese people and uphold unswervingly the leadership of the CPC and socialism with Chinese characteristics. This is where the foundation of China's diplomacy lies.

Secondly, the Chinese features embody the upholding of the independent foreign policy of peace, the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, non-interference in the internal affairs of other countries and other fine traditions in China's diplomacy. At the same time, we need to keep abreast of the times and continue to work for their improvement, enrichment and development.

Thirdly, the Chinese features include the adherence to such principles as standing for reason and justice and acting in equal-footed way. These principles reflect both the proud traditions of the Chinese civilization and the intrinsic requirements of China's socialist system, more effectively safeguard the overall interests of developing countries and help promote democracy in international relations.

Fourthly, the Chinese features require that we make serving domestic development, reform and opening-up our top priority. China is the world's second largest economy, but it is also a typical developing country, which makes it different from other major countries. Therefore, China's diplomacy must be brought to serve the country's domestic development by fostering a more stable and more friendly external environment.

Comrades, the major-country diplomacy with Chinese features is an unprecedented undertaking. It has become all the more valuable just because of its difficult and challenging nature. To persevere in the major-country diplomacy with Chinese features is what the central Party leadership with Comrade Xi Jinping as the General Secretary asked of us, and it is also the glorious mission history has bestowed on this generation of ours. I hope that all of us will pool our strengths and wisdom together and make unremitting efforts to this end.